>> i'm your host of "culturewire," and today, here at electric works in san francisco. nice to see you today. thanks for inviting us in and showing us your amazing facility today. >> my pleasure. >> how long has electric works been around? >> electric works has been in san francisco since the beginning of 2007. we moved here from brisbane from our old innovation.

we do printmaking, gallery shows, and we have a fabulous retail store where there are lots of fun things to find. >> we will look at all of that as we walk around. it is incredible to me how many different things you do. how is it you identify that san francisco was in need of all these different services? >> it came from stepping out of graduate school in 1972. i wrote a little thing about how this is an idea, how our world should work. it should have printmaking, archiving, a gallery. it should have a retail store. in 1972, i wanted to have art sales, point-of-sale at the grocery store. >> so you go through the manifesto. with the bay area should have. you are making art incredibly accessible in so many different ways, so that is a good segue. let's take a walk around the

facilities. here we are in your gallery space. can you tell me about the current show? >> the current show is jeff chadsey. he is working on mylar velum, a smooth, beautiful drawing surface. i do not know anyone that draws as well as he does. it is perfect, following the contours and making the shape of the body. >> your gallery represents artists from all over, not just the bay area, an artist that work in a lot of different media. how to use some of what you look for in artists you represent? >> it is dependent on people are confident with their materials. that is a really important thing. there is enough stuff in the world already. >> you also have in his current show an artist who makes sculpture out of some really interesting types of materials. let's go over and take a look at that.

here we are in a smaller space. project gallery. >> artists used the parameters of this space to find relationships between the work that is not out in the big gallery. >> i noticed a lot of artists doing really site-specific work. >> this is a pile of balloons, something that is so familiar, like a child's balloon. in this proportion, suddenly, it becomes something out of a dream. >> or a nightmare. >> may be a nightmare. >> this one over here is even harder to figure out what the initial material is. >> this is made out of puffy paint. often, kids use it to decorate their clothes. she has made all these lines of paint. >> for the pieces we are looking at, is there a core of foam or something in the middle of these

pieces that she built on top of? >> i'm not telling. >> ah, a secret. >> this silver is aluminum foil, crumbled of aluminum foil. her aesthetic is very much that quiet, japanese spatial thing that i really admire. their attention to the materiality of the things of the world. >> this is a nice juxtaposition you have going on right now. you have a more established artists alongside and emerging artists. is that something important to you as well? >> very important in this space, to have artists who really have not shown much. now let's look at other aspects of electric works operation. let's go to the bookstore. >> ok. >> in all seriousness, here we are in your store.

this is the first space you encounter when you come in off the street. it has evolved since you open here into the most amazingly curious selection of things. >> this was the project for the berkeley art museum. it was -- this is from william wiley's retrospective, when he got up onstage to sing a song, 270 people put on the cat. >> it is not just a bookstore. it is a store. can you talk us through some of your favorites? >> these are made in china, but they are made out of cattails. >> these pieces of here, you have a whale head and various animals and their health over there, and they are jewelry. >> we do fund raisers for nonprofits, so we are doing a project for the magic theater, so there are some pretty funny cartoons. they are probably not for prime time.

>> you sort of have a kind of holistic relationship where you might do merchandise in the store that promotes their work and practice, and also, prince for them. maybe we should go back and look at the print operation now. >> let's go. >> before we go into the print shop, i noticed some incredible items you have talked back here. what are we standing in front of? >> this is william wiley, only one earth. this is a print edition. there are only eight total, and what we wanted to do was expand the idea of printmaking. this is really an art object. there we go. >> besides the punball machine,

what do you produce in limited edition? >> there is the slot machine. if you win the super jackpot, you have saved the world. >> what about work? >> the right design, it was three volumes with lithographs in each volume. the cab of count dracula with 20 lithographs inside and lined with beaver fur. really special. >> let's move on to the print shop. >> ok. the core of what we do is making things. this is an example. this is a print project that will be a fund-raiser for the contemporary music players. we decided to put it in the portfolio so you could either frame at or have it on your bookshelf. >> so nonprofits can come to you, not just visual are nonprofits, but just nonprofits can come to you, and you will

produce prints for them to sell, and the profits, they can keep. >> the return on investment is usually four times to 10 times the amount of investment. this is for the bio reserve in mexico, and this is one of the artists we represent. >> you also make prints for the artists that you represent. over here are some large prints by a phenomenal artist. >> he writes these beautiful things. anyone who has told you paradise is a book of rules is -- has only appeared through the windows. this is from all over coffee. we are contract printers for all kinds of organizations all across the country. >> thank you very much for showing us around today. i really appreciate you taking the time to let me get better acquainted with the operation and also to share with our

"culturewire" team. ♪ >> welcome to hamilton recreation and aquatics center. it is the only facility that has an integrated swimming pool and recreation center combined. we have to pools, the city's water slide, for little kids and those of you that are more daring and want to try the rockslide, we have a drop slide. >> exercises for everybody. hi have a great time. the ladies and guys that come, it is for the community and we really make it fun.

people think it is only for those that play basketball or swim. >> i have been coming to the pool for a long time now. it is nice, they are sweet. >> in the aquatics center, they are very committed to combining for people in san francisco. and also ensuring that they have public safety. >> there are a lot of different personalities that come through here and it makes it very exciting all the time. they, their family or teach their kids have a swim. >> of the gem is fantastic, there is an incredible program

going on there, both of my girls have learned to swim there. it is a fantastic place, check it out. it is an incredible indication of what bonn dollars can do with our hearts and facilities. it is as good as anything you will find out why mca. parents come from all over. >> there are not too many pools that are still around, and this is one-stop shopping for kids. you can bring your kid here and have a cool summer. >> if you want to see some of the youth and young men throughout san francisco play some great pickup games, come wednesday night for midnight basketball. on saturdays, we have a senior

lyons dance that has a great time getting exercise and a movement. we have all the music going, the generally have a good time. whether it is awkward camp or junior guard. >> from more information, visit >> just a few steps away from union square is a quiet corner stone of san francisco's our community to the meridian gallery has a 20-year history of supporting visual arts. experimental music concert, and also readings. >> give us this day our daily

bread at least three times a day. and lead us not into temptation to often on weekdays. [laughter] >> meridians' stands apart from the commercial galleries around union square, and it is because of their core mission, to increase social, philosophical, and spiritual change my isolated individuals and communities. >> it gives a statement, the idea that a significant art of any kind, in any discipline, creates change. >> it is philosophy that attracted david linger to mount a show at meridian. >> you want to feel like your work this summer that it can do some good. i felt like at meridian, it could do some good. we did not even talk about price until the day before the show. of course, meridian needs to support itself and support the community. but that was not the first

consideration, so that made me very happy. >> his work is printed porcelain. he transfers images onto and spoils the surface a fragile shes of clay. each one, only one-tenth of an inch thick. >> it took about two years to get it down. i would say i lose 30% of the pieces that i made. something happens to them. they cracked, the break during the process. it is very complex. they fall apart. but it is worth it to me. there are photographs i took 1 hours 99 the former soviet union. these are blown up to a gigantic images. they lose resolution. i do not mind that, because my images are about the images, but they're also about the idea, which is why there is text all over the entire surface. >> marie in moved into the mansion on powell street just five years ago. its galleries are housed in one of the very rare single family residences around union square.

for the 100th anniversary of the mansion, meridian hosted a series of special events, including a world premiere reading by lawrence ferlinghetti. >> the birth of an american corporate fascism, the next to last free states radio, the next-to-last independent newspaper raising hell, the next-to-last independent bookstore with a mind of its own, the next to last leftie looking for obama nirvana. [laughter] the first day of the wall street occupation set forth upon this continent a new revolutionary nation. [applause] >> in addition to its own

programming as -- of artist talks, meridian has been a downtown host for san francisco states well-known port trees center. recent luminaries have included david meltzer, steve dixon, and jack hirsch man. >> you can black as out of the press, blog and arrest us, tear gas, mace, and shoot us, as we know very well, you will, but this time we're not turning back. we know you are finished. desperate, near the end. hysterical in your flabbergastlyness. amen. >> after the readings, the crowd headed to a reception upstairs by wandering through the other gallery rooms in the historic home. the third floor is not usually reserved for just parties, however. it is the stage for live performances. ♪

under the guidance of musical curators, these three, meridian has maintained a strong commitment to new music, compositions that are innovative, experimental, and sometimes challenging. sound art is an artistic and event that usually receives short shrift from most galleries because san francisco is musicians have responded by showing strong support for the programming. ♪ looking into meridian's future, she says she wants to keep doing the same thing that she has been doing since 1989. to enlighten and disturbed.

>> i really believe that all the arts have a serious function and that it helps us find out who we are in a much wider sense than we were before we experienced that work of art. ♪ mayor lee, supervisors, come on up. and while they are doing that, let's get started. what a beautiful, beautiful day, give yourselves a round of applause. [ applause ] >> fantastic. this is like winning a pennant and how about those san francisco giants. i actually want to marco

scutaro wanna be, but it's not going to work and today i will settle formality city librarian luis herr ra and i would like to welcome each and every one of you to our ceremony today. this is indeed a milestone because it's not only the beginning of construction to a new new library, but it's the end of the program, which means it's a long time coming. {$}[ applause ], what it means that this is the last project and i want to especially thank. north beach community for your patience, for your persistence and your perseverance to have the state-of-the-art library here in your neighborhood. [ applause ] thank you so much very much. [ applause ] >> let's talk a little bit about this library.

it's going to be 60% larger than the other library that sits over there. 60% larger. that means more books, more media, wonderful technology, wi-fi access. if you envision this space and if you look that way you have a wonderful adult area. as you walk in from the mason street side, you have an amazing teen center for all the young adults. absolutely. yelling back here, [ applause ] . that was our deputy city librarian, what can we say? a wonderful space for children. this north beach library serves over 30,000 diverse residents and it's way overdue to have a state-of-the-art library. clean it's really a true

partnership with our city departments and i want to thank our dpw folks and their team. mindy, lena, fantastic work in managing this project. [ applause ] and another superb partner in phil ginsburg, rec and park, thank you. [ applause ] this is going to be an amazing space that ties together the joe dimaggio park and you will hear more about that. it's wonderful to know that it really creates an amazing civic space for north beach and it wouldn't happen wouldn't fantastic support from the community. julie christinsen, a shout out to you. [ applause ] the. so throughout this ceremony, we're going to celebrate and pay tribute to all of the wonderful folks that are making it happen. so without further ado, person that not only has prior director of public works, city

administrator and now wonderful mayor for our city; who has been terrifically supportive of our city, mayor ed lee. [ applause ] >> how is everybody doing? [ applause ] [ applause ] well let me begin by saying luis, congratulations but you know, when you are as successful as you are have been with the library commission it's like winning the first world series. we're not just satisfied with one project, even though there are 24 of these that have been completed with this one, and the proper use of our library bonds program from beginning from the year 2000 with the great partnership of dpw and so forth. there are more great partnerships to be guilt because guess what we're doing with the bonds that publicly improves, we're honoring these kids' future. this is a place where there is

going to be invent, sharing, yes, exploring, meeting, oh, gosh, what else did we miss? >> meeting. >> instructor: yes, meeting and sharing and exploring and inventing and reading. of course. we're just going to have so much of this and i'm so happy to be working with the supervisors who also know this. because we're working together on things that you believe in. and i'm waiting for the chance, when board president chiu and scott wiener have their kids and when they come to north beach branch library, they will remember this day, when they bring their kids up to the front and say mayor lee and luis herrera and everybody worked together to get this done. and, by the way, more is to come when we all work together.

because today is about a confirmation, the biggest thanks goes to the parents and residents of north beach. ten years it took us to get to this place. a lot of ups and downs and winding and turning. [ applause ] and if it wasn't for people like julie and others, who i met years ago and we looked each other in the eye when i was at dpw and we said we're going to get this done and make it even a better libraries, because libraries are centers for our communities. they are seismically safe. they are going to have the most modern equipment for our kids to grow up and promise all of the things that we promised for them to do to become even better residents. the things that keeps me going and everybody else goes in collaboration, we're doing it for you. it's not about us. it's not about announcements, about things that are politically smart for us to do.

it's about the future of this city. and with these 24 branches, and now the smart thing to do, connect up with great parks. yes. [ applause ] because the vision, julie didn't have a vision of just having a great center library; right? our neighborhoods aren't just going to accept that to be the end. it's to connect it up with world-class parks. that is what prop b is about and why we work together and mohammed comes in and smooths out columbus avenue. because i just road that street and it feels like a construction road [ laughter ] we have got to get all of these roads built and this is what scott wiener and others works on:we have the opportunity to unite everybody and it's up to us in government to have listened carefully, and

be responsible with your money and get the job done. are we ready to get the job done? >> yes! are we ready to build the future for your kids? >> yes. >> are we ready to support the great parks in san francisco with proposition b? >> yes! let's go forward and keep another world series and escambia keep our san francisco successful! thank you, mr. mayor, we're going to have a celebration this morning. he reminded me it's about community spaces too. so take a moment and look up. look up. because that is where the meeting room will be on the second floor with after-hour access for all the poets and all the kids' story times and various activities. it's going to be fantastic. we want to continue our theme of partnerships and teamwork by acknowledging the great staff that has put it all together and it's going to continue to offer services here in the

neighborhood at our current library. and i see robert carlson, robert, would you wave? he is a great community advocate here and does a terrific job. [ applause ] other members of the team, begining with our chief of branches, edward melton, edward, great work. [ applause ] elsie wong, another district manager helping to put it all together. thank you for the fantastic job you do. more partners from our city family. i know our attorney team john is here. congratulations for all the hard work, as well as michael. thank you for helping us through the entire environmental impact reports and all that took many, many years of dedicated work. we really appreciate that. and without further ado,

terrific tenure, president of the board, district supervisor david chiu, thank you so much. [ applause ] >> thank you. >> good morning. the sun is shining on north beach today. i am so happy to be here. i think it's amazing that in the week that we celebrate the giants, we are also celebrating a real tribute to the best baseball legend in history, joe dimaggio! [ applause ] as our librarian just said, the very first meeting i took, even before he was sworn-in, after i was elected was about this library. and i got to tell you, that was only four years of a ten-year struggle. there have been hundreds of meetings coming together. there are high school students today who were preschool students when we started this conversation.

and i have to tell you as we all know, it takes a village to raise our kids, but it has taken many villages to build this library. i want to start first and foremost by thanking three mothers, who helped to lead friends of joe dimaggio, julie christinsen, lizzy diaz and lizziehurst, thank you for all you have done. [ applause ] and i also want to take a moment and thank all of the parents who are here of all the different schools that we have. yes, franklin middle school, garflied, st. peter and paul, what am i missing? sherman, telegraph hill. thank you all for what you are doing. i also want to thank those who have been advocating for our seniors and disabled, our parks advocates, our library